Back from storming the MinuteKlan in Sacto.

[dissidentaggresser]

Immigration clash at Capitol
Three arrested as demonstrators counter Minuteman Corps rally

One group wants to end illegal immigration. The other rejects what it calls the armed uprising that the first group has begun. They clashed Saturday in the shadow of the Capitol, and three people were arrested. Still, it turns out, they agree on one thing: The system is broken.

"This isn't about hatred. This isn't about racism. We stand against a broken system that has failed all of us," said Tim Donnelly, leader of the Minuteman Corps of California, one branch of a group that organizes armed citizen patrols of America's border with Mexico.

Donnelly's group held a rally on the Capitol steps that drew about 200 people. The group supports a ballot initiative to create a new state police force to patrol the border.
"They are attacking the immigrants. The problem isn't the immigrants. The problem is the system," said Gerardo Murillo of Daly City, who joined a counterdemonstration by immigrant-rights groups that drew about 600 people.

Murillo's son Carlos, 22, was arrested and released on charges of failing to obey a police officer and resisting arrest. He allegedly stepped into the street and did not follow orders to return to the sidewalk where police were trying to contain a throng of demonstrators that used bullhorns, drums, horns and chanting to drown out the Minutemen.

"We demand to be treated with justice and dignity," said Tomas Alejo of Watsonville. "We believe in no borders. A lot of humans are migrating not because they want to, but because they need to. We deny what the Minutemen are about."

The Minutemen and their supporters blame illegal immigration for economic woes in America, from lost jobs to the growing financial burden of government social services. They attacked President Bush and Republicans and Democrats alike for failing to confront the problem.

Their leader is Jim Gilchrist of Aliso Viejo, founder of the Minuteman Project and now campaigning to represent Orange County in Congress.

"Their intent is to trample our Constitution," said Gilchrist. "Their goal is not our domestic tranquility, it is our destruction. If it's a war the anarchists want, then damn it, it will start here."

Take away each side's banners and slogans and T-shirts, and they would be hard to tell apart. In its own way, each represents the colorless melting pot that America has become.

Speakers at the Minuteman rally included Lupe Moreno, co-chair of Latinos for Immigration Reform; and Frank George, a naturalized Cuban immigrant and spokesman for the Texas Minutemen.

The counterprotesters included Peter Camejo, former Green Party candidate for governor, and Nativo Lopez, president of the Mexican American Political Association.

Fringe groups attached themselves to each of the larger demonstrations, like pilot fish waiting for a morsel to break off.

Swimming with the Minutemen were two members of the National Alliance, passing out fliers in hopes of recruiting more members to their cause of establishing an all-white state inside America.

The counterprotesters included a collection of self-described anarchists - a mostly white collection of 20-something rebels who support Gilchrest's election on the belief that it will cause a national upheaval.

All three arrests on Saturday came from the group of counterprotesters.

In addition to Carlos Murillo, Robert Levin, 21, of San Francisco also was arrested for allegedly disobeying a police officer and resisting arrest. Joshua Ramirez, 19, of Santa Cruz was arrested on a more serious charge of assaulting a police officer.

Sacramento Police Lt. Neil Schneider said Ramirez kicked a California Highway Patrol officer in the stomach, then attacked a city officer with pepper spray.

The counterprotesters did not have a permit to demonstrate in front of the Minutemen. But police allowed them to parade along the sidewalk in front of the Capitol's west steps where the Minutemen were assembled.

Tension climbed as the groups flung words back and forth.

"We gave them the sidewalk. We wanted them to exercise their rights," Schneider said. "I'm disappointed we had to arrest people."

Though both sides seemed to concur that the system is broken, they disagree on most everything else. They don't agree on what "the system" is, which part of it is broken, or how to fix it.

The Minutemen want the border sealed. They want corporations to stop shipping jobs overseas and hiring illegal immigrants for the work that remains.

Immigrants and their supporters want a simpler path to citizenship and an equal chance at life-sustaining work.

Navigating the empty space between the two groups were Asha Ellman and Michael Kassing of Land Park. They brought their daughters, Erika Kassing, 9, and Bryce Ellman, 7, to witness the unfolding drama for themselves, to walk among both groups and hear both sides.

"Being exposed just to one side, like a lot of families do, they would grow up either Democrat or Republican without really knowing what each represents," said Asha Ellman. "We kind of let them make up their own minds. It's an education about our society. It's an education about people."

www.sacbee.com/content/politics/story/13790544p-14632246c.html#more_images

[crudo]

Some thoughts and a really horrible piece...

""This isn't about hatred. This isn't about racism. We stand against a broken system that has failed all of us," said Tim Donnelly, leader of the Minuteman Corps of California, one branch of a group that organizes armed citizen patrols of America's border with Mexico." -

The minutemen are werid. They have kind of a populist view of the situation. They reject "free trade" agreements like NAFTA with allow for multi-national corporations to more easily exploit workers in other countries, (while at the same time laying off people here), yet at the same time are so concerned about immigrants coming into this country to work, because they say it's "destroying" this country.

Why it's destorying this country they are kind of unclear about. They mostly site drugs coming across the boarder. I think this is a pretty weak issue. Granted drugs in our communities is bad, but the amount of money to be made by the demand of drugs from the American people ensures that as long as drugs are illegal, they will be huge cash crops.

They cite terrorists coming into the country by way of the boarder. When we have a president like Bush, who get's memo's like "OBL attacking America with Planes", I fail to see how the Mexican boarder is our worst fear. Also, if we want to stop terrorism shouldn't we be at least considering what is causing terrorism against the US, instead of futher militarizing an area like the boarder?

The Minutemen also site a drain on the US economy caused my immigrants, which is a joke. Immigrants keep the price of fruits, veggies, etc, down, contribute to taxes, etc. Over half of our taxes go to the military, not to helping children go to school, or go to the doctor, all of which I down to pay for, not for bombs to kill other people in a country that have never threatened me.

What the minutemen really fear is Mexican and other latin people having political say and power in this country. It's okay when they are simply picking food and keeping quite, but when they are standing up for driver's liscenses, or better pay through unions, etc, then they become a problem.

""Their intent is to trample our Constitution," said Gilchrist. "Their goal is not our domestic tranquility, it is our destruction. If it's a war the anarchists want, then damn it, it will start here.""-

Seems like the Minutemen wanted to start that war behind a line of well armed pigs...

Also, those in power have trampled the constitution so many times, it's really a side issue to say that a social movement, (anarchism), which proposes social revolution, and the creation of a cooperative world based on worker self-management, free association and mutual aid, and direct community control want to trample the constitution. Personally I really don't care about the constitution, the leaders of this country don't, why should be seeking to move beyond democratic republicanism and capitalism care either. Economics plays more of a role in our lives any way.

"Speakers at the Minuteman rally included Lupe Moreno, co-chair of Latinos for Immigration Reform; and Frank George, a naturalized Cuban immigrant and spokesman for the Texas Minutemen.

Fringe groups attached themselves to each of the larger demonstrations, like pilot fish waiting for a morsel to break off.

Swimming with the Minutemen were two members of the National Alliance, passing out fliers in hopes of recruiting more members to their cause of establishing an all-white state inside America.

The counterprotesters included a collection of self-described anarchists - a mostly white collection of 20-something rebels who support Gilchrest's election on the belief that it will cause a national upheaval." -

First off, some anarchists had a joke about election Gilchrest - but that's what is was a joke, and that was like two people.

I like how they make it seem like the Minutemen are this wonderful bunch of do-gooders with a multi-cultural bent, while the anarchists are all white.

While the minutmen did have some spanish speakers, most of their supporters were white, as well as their leaders. Recentally, one Minutemen leader even quit his role, after he complained of racism and the desire of people in his unit to shoot and kill migrants trying to cross the boarder, as well as not give them water.

The anarchist groups also has a large mix of people, of various races, genders, and ages. Yes their were whites amoung them, but lots of other colors as well.

Also, far from being a "fringe group", anarchist groups were some of the main organizers of the march, and reprsented probably the largest contigent within the anti-minutemen block. How is this comparable to two nazis?

"The counterprotesters did not have a permit to demonstrate in front of the Minutemen. But police allowed them to parade along the sidewalk in front of the Capitol's west steps where the Minutemen were assembled." -

The police also choose when and where they would enforce our "rights", moving us when and where they please, and arresting people at will.

""We gave them the sidewalk. We wanted them to exercise their rights," Schneider said. "I'm disappointed we had to arrest people."" -

The police were interested in beating people, and anyone on our side knew that. Beating people and holding a person on the ground and tazing him repeatidly for throwing something is not grounds.

[dissidentaggresser]

these people get me worked up. i'm working with notmygovernment on some stencil idea's, so we can get some pro-immigragation (anti-minutmen) visuals going on.

[crudo]

I like the chant that goes along the line of "We didn't cross the border - the border crossed us!"

This seems like a simple idea, but for people that are of Mexican, and Chicano descent, this is a real thing to consider. They are part of a native american heritage which has been displaced, and forced to confrom and obey the manifestations of various nation states.